BharatNet's last mile woes: only 45% connections active, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• Less than half of the targeted BharatNet connections were actively used by March 2026, with only 8.01 lakh active users against 13.23 lakh commissioned connections.
• The government had aimed for 18 lakh fixed connections under BharatNet by March 2026, but only 73% of this target was met in terms of commissioned connections.
• New customer additions for BharatNet have steadily declined over the last three years, as revealed by data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
• Only 0.7% of the 1.04 lakh public Wi-Fi hotspots installed under the scheme were operational as of September 2025.

Detailed Insights:

• BharatNet is India's flagship rural broadband initiative, designed to provide high-speed internet to all Gram Panchayats and bridge the digital divide.
• The scheme is faltering due to issues like last-mile connectivity, underutilized Wi-Fi hotspots, fund leakages, and confusing tariff structures.
• While mobile internet offers basic connectivity, BharatNet is crucial for high-capacity, fixed-line broadband to support heavy data usage, e-governance, and digital healthcare in rural areas.
• A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communication and Information Technology report in March 2025 had flagged suboptimal usage and under-utilization of funds, with only 48% of the revised estimate of Rs 6,500 crore spent in 2024-25.
• The Minister of State for Communications acknowledged shortcomings in earlier phases of BharatNet and stated a target of connecting 1.5 crore rural households in the first phase.

Key Concepts Involved:

• BharatNet: A government project to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats in India.
• Gram Panchayat: The lowest unit of local self-governance in rural India, responsible for village administration.
• Right to Information (RTI) Act: An Indian law that empowers citizens to request information from public authorities.